The Familiar

Hardback Published on: 11/04/2024
Price: £20.00
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Bookseller Reviews

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The Familiar
Wow… just wow
I was jumping with excitement to receive a copy of The Familiar, but I was nervous too, I often find historical fiction books worrisome to ease into, nerv... READ MORE
Keela at Glasgow Argyle St
The Familiar
Bardugo at her Best
Thank you to Rih at Penguin publishers for an early copy of this book! As equally impressive as Ninth House with the religious fervour and spellbinding ma... READ MORE
Chloë at Cheltenham Waterstones
The Familiar
Mysterious, Magical, and Full of Tension
Thank you to Penguin for sending a proof of this book. Bardugo's newest book steps away from her more traditional fantasy setting of the likes of Shadow an... READ MORE
Rosemary Kelly
The Familiar
Richly Detailed Historical Fantasy from the Fantasy Queen!
Leigh Bardugo is just a master at writing incredibly detailed but not overwhelming worlds, even ones based on our own. Set in 1500s Spain, The Familiar fol... READ MORE
Clara at Barnet
The Familiar
Perfection in a book!
Leigh Bardugo just keeps getting better and better! In her first historical fiction, Leigh brings us into the life of Luzia Cotado and how she battles thr... READ MORE
Georgia Hume
The Familiar
A hauntingly beautiful historical fantasy
I totally loved this book, it’s very different to ‘Ninth House’, the only other Leigh Bardugo book I have read. It definitely won’t be the last. The sto... READ MORE
Fiona Ellwood at Leicester Highcross
The Familiar
A compelling historical fantasy - author’s best work yet!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for a review. I loved this book so much! This was a beauti... READ MORE
Anna at Bluewater
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
The Familiar
Utterly Intoxicating
A deliciously dark and seductively gothic tale of love, power and greed under the oppressive gaze of the Spanish Inquisition. Completely enthralling, intox... READ MORE
Rayah Evans
The Familiar
A brilliant story of sisterhood, magic, and romance!
The Familiar is a story of sisterhood, witchcraft, and romance set against the backdrop of the Spanish Inquisition. The characters and their relationships ... READ MORE
Niamh at Leeds
The Familiar
A magical novel full of elegant writing that expertly brings history to life!
The Familiar is an exquisite historical fantasy set in sixteenth century Madrid and the plot follows Luzia, a servant full of ambition who possess a unique... READ MORE
Laura at Blackpool
The Familiar
A Master Storyteller
Full of immersive historical world building, rich characterisation, and a captivating plot, this latest instalment from Leigh Bardugo is certainly not goin... READ MORE
Lavinia, Waterstones
The Familiar
Prepare to be obsessed!
In a shabby, unassuming house, on a shabby and lonely street, in the capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado does the best she can with the scraps of magic she kno... READ MORE
Dan - Clifton, Bristol.
The Familiar
Wow !!
This was amazing, i just flew through this in no time. I love the historical spanish setting, unique magic elements and the romance was just beautiful. 5 s... READ MORE
Naomi from Chichester
The Familiar
Bardugo's Best
Leigh Bardugo has done it again. But even better. Perfectly crafted. Perfectly delectable. Such a rich world which is only enhanced by Bardugo's incredib... READ MORE
Bill
The Familiar
Perfection!
Leigh Bardugo is, without a doubt, a literary genius! She has weaved the perfect historical fiction with a twist of fantasy that fans of either genre will ... READ MORE
Victoria at Aviemore
The Familiar
A Must-Read for Bardugo Fans!
The Familiar sees Bardugo return to adult fantasy, with a lush historical foray into Golden Age Spain. We follow a servant girl, Luzia, as she discovers fo... READ MORE
Hannah Pilcher
The Familiar
A fantastic read
One of, if not, the best of Bardugo's work. This beautiful historical fantasy takes place in the Spanish Golden Age, and I could not put it down. ‘The Fam... READ MORE
Chloe at Waterstones Sunderland
The Familiar
Seductively dark and utterly compelling
It was an obsession from the first page and i was quick to let it consume and not let me go. I was ensnared by the writing and the gripping and thrilling s... READ MORE
Katie
The Familiar
Superbly Unique!
This is a lush and unique fantasy set in the time of the Spanish Inquisition. I really enjoyed the historical Spanish setting as I didn't know that much ab... READ MORE
Talia at Harlow
The Familiar
Get Ready for your next obsession!!!!!
Thank you to Rih at Penguin publishers for giving me a copy of this book. To say I am obsessed is an understatement. This book was not just a joy but an... READ MORE
Dami
The Familiar
Leigh Bardugo has done it again!
I have been a longtime fan of Leigh Bardugo for years - she is one of my 'in the basket first, ask questions later' kind of authors, and The Familiar did n... READ MORE
Joanna at St. Neots
The Familiar
Sumptuous imagined historical fiction
Gorgeously written, sumptuously imagined historical fiction with a magical twist - The Familiar has taken Leigh Bardugo’s writing in a wonderful direction.... READ MORE
Beth at Chesterfield
The Familiar
A dark, intriguing tale
The Familiar is an immersive, elegant historical fiction novel that sucked me in and kept me hooked. The balance between character development, a fast-movi... READ MORE
Miranda
The Familiar
My favourite Leigh Bardugo novel yet!
I absolutely loved this book! There's already so many reviews singing The Familiar's praises, so I'll keep mine short, but this is a genuinely amazing... READ MORE
Helen at Scarborough
The Familiar
Rich historical storytelling
This was a great book by Bardugo, a story of an underdog thrown into a world of royalty, desire, magic, and loss. Once the stage is set with context, it is... READ MORE
Rachel at Swansea
The Familiar
Utterly divine!
As someone who doesn’t read much YA or fantasy this was my first Bardugo - since finishing I have bought both Ninth House and Six of Crows because I loved ... READ MORE
Becca at Glasgow Argyle St
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
The Familiar
What a gem
An absolute gem of a book. This book captivates and enthralls from page 1. An incredible mix of magic within the historical fiction genre. By far, this sho... READ MORE
Ella-Mae at Lewes
The Familiar
A brilliant historical fantasy!
Beautifully crafted and brilliantly written, Leigh Bardugo's historical fantasy is a fantastic read. I was completely drawn in and it had a really good ba... READ MORE
Jess at Swindon
The Familiar
Bardugo's best work yet!!
Working as a scullion of a noble family in 16th century Spain, Luzia uses little bits of magic to ease her chores. The bread burns? No worries, a little tu... READ MORE
Ash
The Familiar
Fun but ultimately disapointing
While I really wanted to love this as I do Bardugo's other books, unfortunately The Familiar didn't have enough magic for me to give it a 4 or 5 stars. Th... READ MORE
Anna Spencer
The Familiar
I didn't want to put it down!!!!
This was such a well developed fantasy which incorporates historical elements with magic, romance and competition. I sped through this book so fast, I d... READ MORE
Jessica
The Familiar
My first Leigh Bardugo read won't be my last
I was reluctant to read this but as it was chosen for my bookclub then I gave it a go. I am so glad that I did as I ended up really enjoying it. She has a ... READ MORE
Sarah in Wolverhampton
The Familiar
Forbidden magic, the threat of the inquisition, and love.
Luiza is a servant in Catholic Spain. She is in danger because she has Jewish blood and deeper secret. Luiza can perform little miracles. I loved the a... READ MORE
Eilish from Rustington
The Familiar
Stellar work- Bardugo shines
An absolute gem of a book! This book captivates and enthralls from page one. An incredible mix of magic and historical fiction. I absolutely adored this bo... READ MORE
Ella-Mae at Lewes
The Familiar
A masterpiece!
I’m gonna go on a little tangent but please bear with me. My MA is focused on the supernatural c16th to c17th centuries, with my research including the his... READ MORE
Lucy at Leeds
The Familiar
Atmospheric & absorbing
The author spun an evocative tale of determination in the face of danger. The exquisite writing immersed me into the story and the dynamics between the cha... READ MORE
@wishful_reader_
The Familiar
Just read it. Just read it.
Leigh Bardugo is a true genius! This is one of those books that might not be for everyone, but my GOD was it for me. I just knew from the first 30 pages th... READ MORE
Millie at Colchester
The Familiar
Good, but not Great
I enjoyed reading The Familiar, but I confess to not being completely bowled over by it. I guess I expected something a little more daring from such an est... READ MORE
Bookseller Adam, Lichfield
The Familiar
A romantasy worth reading!
This is the first book I’ve read by Bardugo and I have a feeling I’m gonna end up down the rabbit hole now! Magic, curses and competition. The story is un... READ MORE
Dani
The Familiar
Spellbinding
Lush, historical fantasy, set in Spain at the time of the Inquisition. Luzia Cotado is a scullion with a little magic, inherited from her Jewish ancestors.... READ MORE
Katherine at Walton-on-Thames
The Familiar
A story of sorcery and power
This story catapults you into the vibrant and dangerous heart of 16th century Spain, as King Phillip's Armada has just been destroyed and terror stalks Ma... READ MORE
Vicki  Sagar
The Familiar
The Scorpion & The Scullion
A spellbinding story of secretly sung magics or little miracles, bargains with an undying man and forever the fear of the magic being branded as that of th... READ MORE
Rebecca at East Kilbride
The Familiar
A Refreshing Change for Bardugo
I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this book, Bardugo can be a bit hit or miss for me but this one? A hit, a HUGE hit and one of my favourite read... READ MORE
Stephanie in Edinburgh

Synopsis

In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to better the family's social position.&nbsp

What begins as simple amusement for the bored nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Pérez, the disgraced secretary to Spain's king. Still reeling from the defeat of his armada, the king is desperate for any advantage in the war against England's heretic queen—and Pérez will stop at nothing to regain the king's favor.

Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the lines between magic, science, and fraud are never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition's wrath. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive—even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santangel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both.

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Ninth House, Hell Bent and creator of the Grishaverse comes a bewitching historical novel set in the Spanish Golden Age, brimming with peril and dark deeds

Publisher information

  • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
  • ISBN: 9780241655306
  • Number of pages: 400
  • Dimensions: 241 x 162 x 35 mm
  • Weight: 619g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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The Familiar
Deadly competition...’
Bardugo’s highly imaginative historical fantasy imagines a deadly competition where, in order to change the fortunes of the King of Spain, every player is ... READ MORE
Emine at Bromley
The Familiar
Evocative and lyrical.
Santangèl and Luzia feel like real people to me now. A wonderful, magical book!
Maria Orlando
The Familiar
Completely addictive ~ this historical fantasy will captivate you!
When I tell you this book is amazing...I mean it is completely incredible! I was on the edge of my seat every single page, it was so compelling. I would sa... READ MORE
Georgia Cook
The Familiar
An Exquisite Gem Of A Book, My Favourite Book By The Author So Far
’Maybe if she’d been born on a different day, or even at a different hour, without the prayers for a queen’s soul echoing in her ears, she might have done ... READ MORE
Charlotte Watkins
The Familiar
A romantic, magical and gripping standalone leaves you yearning for more
Where do I even start with this book? I’ll be honest, when they first announced it, I didn’t really want to read the synopsis. I knew I was going to preord... READ MORE
Heven
The Familiar
Absolutely fantastic!
Wow, this book was absolutely FANTASTIC, and it's my new favorite Bardugo novel!!! It's remarkably different from her previous works, yet it retains her t... READ MORE
Magdalena
The Familiar
A Favorite of the Year!
For all that I read the synopsis of The Familiar, I truly had no idea what I was getting myself into! I saw Leigh’s name, historical fantasy, and magic an... READ MORE
Marina Marcello
The Familiar
Hugely enjoyable historical fantasy
I really enjoy Leigh Bardugo's work and I've been obsessed with 16th century history since I was about eight-years-old, so the fact that I didn't read The ... READ MORE
Jess
The Familiar
Kind of disappointing
It's an okay read, the chemistry between the two leads felt lacking and the other characters felt a touch under developed. Some interesting ideas that just... READ MORE
Jaz
The Familiar
Struggled to engage
The premise and the core story are interesting, but it was a book I struggled with from the beginning and had to force myself through. It gathered pace for... READ MORE
Alison
The Familiar
My first Leigh Bardugo novel...WOW...
I was captivated from the very beginning of this wonderful book. The journey of the main character Luzia, from a scullion maid, to finding a connection wit... READ MORE
Paul Hutton
The Familiar
Novel set in 16th Century MADRID
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo is the first of the author’s books that I’ve read, and I just loved it for its originality. While the idea of a book of histo... READ MORE
TripFiction